Learn About Assessments You May Encounter in the Employment Selection Process

Times are tough. With many graduates and fewer jobs, graduates are facing a challenging job market. As companies are limiting their graduate recruitment, a degree by no means guarantees finding a job. Below you will find advice on how to increase your chances.

Graduate recruiters are increasingly looking for innovative ways to identify high-quality talent in an ever-more competitive marketplace – this includes sourcing talent earlier. Second-year programmes are a way to actively engage with recruitment processes before you graduate. Attracting and recruiting graduates is increasingly a year-round "business as usual" activity.

Even being on target for a first-class honours degree and having a strong commercial awareness is not enough to secure a graduate position. Find out what skills prospective employers want you to have, and take the lead in developing them as much as possible.

Work experience is essential. It facilitates graduate employment and also builds valuable skills that support employability more generally. Nearly two-thirds of recruiters warn that graduates with no previous work experience at all are unlikely to be successful.

Almost all leading UK graduate employers offer work experience programmes for students and recent graduates. The importance of work experience is echoed by the European talent acquisition manager at Enterprise Rent-A-Car, where a variety of work experience and placement schemes are in operation: “We see work experience as key. While it’s great if a candidate has been on a formal programme, any customer-facing role can be very helpful.”

Graduate recruiters are increasingly looking at social media as a way to source, target, and reach the best candidates. Make sure they find you by creating a professional online profile (e.g., on LinkedIn) that is separate from your personal profile.

Ensure career development is high on your agenda: some graduate recruiters receive 250 applications per role. Differentiate yourself so you are more appealing to recruiters. It is also important to be clear about why you want to work for the particular organisation to which you are applying.